Aerogel containing construction board

ABSTRACT

A construction product described herein includes a fiber core that includes a plurality of entangled glass fibers. The fiber core also includes a binder that bonds the plurality of entangled glass fibers together and an Aerogel material that is homogenously or uniformly disposed within the fiber core. In some instances, the fiber core includes between 40 and 80 weight percent of the Aerogel material. The construction product has an R-value of at least 6.5 per inch, a flame spread index of no greater than 5, and a smoke development index of no greater than 20 as measured according to the ASTM E-84 tunnel test.

BACKGROUND

Fiberglass based construction or composite boards are often used toinsulate commercial and residential structures. The fiberglass basedconstruction or composite boards often include entangled glass fibersthat are adhered together with a binder, such as a thermosetting binder.A facer may be positioned on one or more sides of the construction orcomposite board for aesthetic or other purposes, such as providing avapor barrier, increasing fire performance, and the like. The fiberglassbased construction or composite boards are often flexible, semi-rigid,or rigid boards that vary in density. The fiberglass based constructionor composite boards are commonly made from inorganic glass fibers andexhibit good thermal, fire, and acoustical properties.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The embodiments described herein relate to composite or constructionboards that include an insulative material disposed within the interiorof the construction board. The construction board is typically afiberglass based board in which the insulative material is dispersedthroughout the fiberglass material. The construction board is typicallymade of an inorganic material and exhibits exceptional fire resistance.The construction board typically is composed of Aerogel particles (i.e.,the insulative material), microfibers, a silicone binder, and carbonblack, although other construction board compositions are also possible.

According to a first aspect, a glass fiber based construction producthaving improved insulative is provided. The glass fiber basedconstruction product includes a glass fiber core comprising and amixture of Aerogel and carbon black homogenously disposed within theglass fiber core. The fiber core includes a plurality of entangledcoarse glass fibers, a plurality of entangled glass microfibershomogenously dispersed within the entangled coarse glass fibers, and abinder that bonds the plurality of coarse glass fibers and the pluralityof glass microfibers together. The coarse glass fibers have averagefiber diameters of between 8 and 20 μm and the glass microfibers haveaverage fiber diameters of between 0.5 and 6 μm. The fiber core includesbetween 5 and 20 weight percentage of the binder. The mixture of Aerogeland carbon black includes between 85 and 95 weight percent of theAerogel and between 5 and 15 weight percent of the carbon black. Theglass fiber based construction product has an R-value of at least 6.5per inch, a flame spread index no greater than 5, and a smokedevelopment index no greater than 20 as measured according to ASTM E84.

In some embodiments, the glass fiber core includes between 1 and 15weight percent of the coarse glass fibers and between 10 and 40 weightpercent of the glass microfibers. The glass fiber core may also includebetween 0.5 and 2 weight percent of a hydrophobic agent. The glass fibercore may further include at least 50 weight percent of the Aerogel, andmore commonly between 50 and 80 weight percent of the mixture of Aerogeland carbon black. The glass fiber based construction product may have anR-value of at least 7.0 per inch. Common insulation applications for theglass fiber based construction product include the following:residential structures, commercial structures, oil or gas refineries,crude oil pipelines, liquefied natural gas plant/transportation,chemical plants, automotive structures, aerospace/aircraft structures,and the like. In some embodiments, the glass fiber core has anon-rectangular shape, such as a pipe or cylindrical shape.

According to another aspect, a construction product is provided. Theconstruction product includes a fiber core and an Aerogel materialhomogenously or uniformly disposed within the fiber core. The fiber coreincludes a plurality of entangled glass fibers and a binder that bondsthe plurality of entangled glass fibers together. The fiber core alsoincludes between 40 and 80 weight percent of the Aerogel, and morecommonly at least 50 weight percent of the Aerogel. The constructionproduct has an R-value of at least 6.5/inch, a flame spread index nogreater than 5, and a smoke development index no greater than 20 asmeasured according to ASTM E-84 tunnel test. The construction productmay have an R-value of at least 7.0 per inch.

In some embodiments, carbon black is homogenously or uniformly disposedwithin the fiber core. In such embodiments, the glass fiber core mayinclude between 30 and 90 weight percent of a mixture of the Aerogel andcarbon black. The plurality of entangled glass fibers may include aplurality of entangled coarse glass fibers and a plurality of entangledglass microfibers homogenously dispersed within the entangled coarseglass fibers. The coarse glass fibers may have average fiber diametersof between 8 and 20 μm and the glass microfibers may have average fiberdiameters of between 0.5 and 6 μm. In such embodiments, the fiber coremay include between 1 and 15 weight percent of the coarse glass fibersand between 10 and 40 weight percent of the glass microfibers. In someembodiments, the construction product has a non-rectangular shape, suchas a pipe or cylindrical shape.

According to another aspect, a method of forming a construction producthaving improved insulative properties is provided. The method includesproviding an aqueous solution that includes glass fibers and an Aerogelmaterial homogenously or uniformly dispersed within the glass fibers andpouring the aqueous solution onto a porous surface. The method alsoincludes removing water from the aqueous solution to form a wet laidmaterial mixture or mat of the glass fibers and Aerogel material atopthe porous surface and applying a binder to the wet laid mat/materialmixture. The method further includes curing the binder to bond the glassfibers and Aerogel material together and thereby form a fiber core ofthe construction product. The fiber core includes between 40 and 80weight percent of the Aerogel. The fiber core also has an R-value of atleast 6.5/inch, a flame spread index of no greater than 5, and a smokedevelopment index of no greater than 20 as measured according to ASTME-84 test.

In some embodiments, the method may additionally include applyingpressure to the wet laid mat/material mixture during the curing process.The aqueous solution may also include carbon black that is homogenouslyor uniformly dispersed within the glass fibers and the Aerogel material.In such embodiments, the fiber core may include between 40 and 90 weightpercent of the Aerogel material and carbon black. The glass fibers ofthe aqueous solution may include coarse glass fibers and glassmicrofibers homogenously dispersed within the coarse glass fibers. Thecoarse glass fibers may have average fiber diameters of between 8 and 20μm and the glass microfibers may have average fiber diameters of between0.5 and 6 μm. In such embodiments, the fiber core may include between 1and 15 weight percent of the coarse glass fibers and between 10 and 40weight percent of the glass microfibers.

In some embodiments, the method additionally includes transferring thewet laid mat/material mixture to a mold and curing the binder within themold such that the fiber core of the construction product has anon-rectangular shape. In such embodiments, the wet laid mat/materialmixture is often in a powder or particle form, which aids intransferring the wet laid mat/material mixture to the mold. The wet laidmat may be cured in the mold at a temperature of between 150 and 200Celsius. The wet laid mat may be cured in the mold for between 2 and 4hours. The mold may be pipe or cylindrical shaped such that the fibercore of the construction product is pipe or cylindrical shaped.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in conjunction with the appendedfigures:

FIG. 1 illustrates an aggregation, mass, or collection of insulativeparticles, and in particular Aerogel particles.

FIG. 1A illustrates an expanded view of the aggregation, mass, orcollection of insulative particles and further illustrates theindividual insulative particles in greater detail.

FIG. 2 illustrates a construction product or board that includes theinsulative particles of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section view of the construction board ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method of forming a construction product or board.

FIG. 5 illustrates the results of a sound adsorption test conducted onAerogel containing construction boards in accordance with ASTM E-1050.

FIG. 6 illustrates the results of a cryogenic thermal conductivity testconducted on an Aerogel containing construction board.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a non-rectangular shapedinsulation product, and in particular pipe or cylindrical shapedinsulation product.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have thesame numerical reference label. Further, various components of the sametype may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letterthat distinguishes among the similar components and/or features. If onlythe first numerical reference label is used in the specification, thedescription is applicable to any one of the similar components and/orfeatures having the same first numerical reference label irrespective ofthe letter suffix.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is notintended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of thedisclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodimentswill provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description forimplementing one or more exemplary embodiments. It being understood thatvarious changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elementswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

“ASTM” refers to American Society for Testing and Materials and is usedto identify a test method by number. The year of the test method iseither identified by suffix following the test number or is the mostrecent test method prior to the priority date of this document.

The embodiments described herein are related to composite orconstruction boards that include an Aerogel material disposed within theinterior of the construction board. The construction board is typicallya fiberglass based board in which the Aerogel is dispersed throughoutthe fiberglass material. The construction board is typically made of aninorganic material and exhibits exceptional fire resistance. Theconstruction board typically is composed of Aerogel particles,microfiber, a silicone binder, and carbon black, although otherconstruction board compositions are also possible. The constructionboard has high thermal insulation value, good fire resistance, highthermal stability, and good acoustic properties. The construction boardcan be made through a wet laid process and the density of theconstruction board can also be adjusted.

Aerogel is a synthetic highly porous and ultralight weight materialwhich is usually made through a sol-gel process. Aerogel is an excellentthermal insulator due to its light weight (i.e., typically 98% air) andextremely small pore size (typically 10-40 nm). Aerogels, such as silicaaerogel, by themselves are hydrophilic but can be made hydrophobic bychemical treatment. The extremely small pore size of the Aerogel greatlyenhances the thermal insulation R-value of the resulting constructionboard, which often exceeds and R-value of 6.0, 6.5, or 7.0 for theconstruction board. The highly porous Aerogel material greatly minimizesheat or thermal energy transfer due to conduction. The decreasedconduction is due to the Aerogel material being mainly composed of a gasor air (i.e., typically 98% air), which minimizes thermal conductionwithin or through the particle due to the small solid mass and tortuouspath.

The Aerogel material that is employed in the construction boards canalso greatly minimize thermal energy transfer due to radiation, which isnot an important mode of heat transfer at low temperature, but becomesthe dominant mode of heat transfer at high temperatures. For example, ablack material may be mixed with the Aerogel, which may function as aradiation absorber in order to reduce or suppress radiation heattransfer. In a specific embodiment, carbon black granules may be mixedwith the Aerogel. The black material functions as a blackbody radiator,which greatly minimizes heat or thermal energy transfer due toradiation. The black material may be mixed with the Aerogel so that themixtures comprises or consists of approximately 1-10 weight percent ofthe black material and 90-99 weight percent of the Aerogel. In otherembodiments, the mixture may comprise or consists of 2-8 weight percentof the black material and 92-98 weight percent Aerogel, or 3-6 weightpercent of the black material and 94-97 weight percent of the Aerogel.

The Aerogel material may also minimize heat or thermal energy transferdue to convention since the Aerogel material is resistant to convectiveheat or thermal energy transfer and since the Aerogel material occupiesa significant volume within the construction board. The resistant of theAerogel material to convective heat or thermal energy transfer is duemainly to the extremely small hollow pores in which air or gas iscontained, which reduces the effectiveness of gas conduction.Specifically, the pore size of the Aerogel may be smaller than the meanfree path of air at ambient temperature and pressures, which is around50-60 nanometers. The extremely small pore size results in theconvective heat or thermal energy transfer being very insignificantand/or negligible.

Since the Aerogel material employed in the construction board hassignificant insulative properties as described above, the use of thismaterial in the construction board greatly increases the insulativeproperties of the construction board. For example, the heat or thermalenergy transfer through the construction board is mainly due to theother components that are used in forming the construction board and notdue to the Aerogel material. Specifically, the heat or thermal energy istransferred through the construction board (via conduction, convention,and/or radiation) due to the fibers, the binder, the filler materials,and/or any other components. The composition and/or arrangement of thesematerials can be engineered within the construction board and/or inrelation to the Aerogel material to achieve thermal insulative R-valuesthat are not achievable with conventional construction boards.

The construction board products described herein have a variety ofinsulative applications. For example, the construction boards may beused to insulate residential or commercial building or structures. Inother instance, the construction boards may be used to insulate variousindustrial building, structures, or components. For example, theconstruction board products may be used to insulate sections of pipingthat transport hot substances, such as various fluids in oil refineries.In such instances, the construction board products may include one ormore cut sections that allow the construction board products to berolled around the pipe. In other instances, the construction boardproducts may be used to insulate chemical factories in which hot gasesare reacted together. The construction board products may be ideal forinsulating such industrial processes due to the excellent fire resistantproperties of the construction board products. The construction boardmay likewise be employed to insulate various other structures, such asAerospace structures and/or Navy ships/submarines. Having referredgenerally to the construction boards and Aerogel material, additionaldetails and aspects of the boards and Aerogel material will be realizedin relation to the description of the embodiments and drawings providedbelow.

Aerogel Material

Referring now to FIG. 1, illustrated is an aggregation, mass, orcollection 100 of Aerogel particles 102. As described above, the Aerogelparticles 102 are synthetic highly porous and ultralight weightmaterials. The Aerogel particles 102 are typically made through asol-gel process, although any other process of forming the Aerogelparticles 102 known in the art may be employed. The Aerogel particles102 are excellent thermal insulators due to being extremely light weightand low density (i.e., 98% air) and having extremely small pore sizes,which typically are between 10 and 40 nanometers. The nano-sized poresof the Aerogel particles 102 enable the Aerogel particles 102 to exhibitlow thermal conductivity by essentially eliminating convection and gasconduction heat or thermal energy transfer. The Aerogel particles 102are preferably silica Aerogel particles 102, but may also includevarious other materials, such as organic aerogels, polyimide aerogel,polyurethane aerogel, and the like.

FIG. 1A illustrates an expanded view of a portion of the Aerogelmaterial aggregation, mass, or collection 100 and illustrates theindividual Aerogel particles 102 in greater detail. As illustrated, theAerogel particles 102 may be solid blocks or particles, which typicallyhave a particle size or diameter of between 25 and 500 microns, althougha particle size of between 50 and 500 microns is more common and aparticle size of between 100 to 200 microns is most common. Variousother particle sizes for the Aerogel particles may likewise be employed.A particle size of between 100-200 microns may enable the Aerogelparticles to be easily dispersed within a white water solution and allowthe water to be easily drained during the formation of a constructionboard. The Aerogel particles 102 are typically also hydrophobic, whichenables the Aerogel particles 102 to be directly added to water in theconstruction board formation process without the water, or othermaterials in the water, plugging the pores of the Aerogel particles 102.If the pores of the Aerogel particles are plugged, the desiredinsulative properties may be negated or eliminated.

FIGS. 1 and 1A also illustrate that in some embodiments, theaggregation, mass, or collection 100 includes a blackbody material 104,which is homogenously or uniformly dispersed within and throughout theAerogel particles 102. The term “blackbody material” means that thematerial is a good thermal insulator in regards to radiation and mayexhibit characteristics similar to theoretical blackbody radiators. Theblackbody material 104 may be added to the Aerogel particles 102 toprovide a radiant barrier by impeding and minimizing heat transfer dueto thermal radiation.

An exemplary material that may be used as the blackbody material 104 iscarbon black. Other materials that may be employed as the blackbodymaterial 104 include iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and the like. Ironoxide may be the preferred blackbody material 104 when high operatingtemperature are anticipated, such as a temperature higher than 400Celsius. The carbon black that is typically used is an aqueousdispersion of carbon black.

In some embodiment, the aggregation, mass, or collection 100 may onlyinclude Aerogel particles 102. In other embodiments, the aggregation,mass, or collection 100 may include a combination of Aerogel particles102 and the blackbody material 104. In yet other embodiments, theaggregation, mass, or collection 100 may include other filler materialsthat are mixed with the Aerogel particles 102 in isolation, or that aremixed with the Aerogel particles 102 and the blackbody material 104.When the aggregation, mass, or collection 100 includes a combination ofthe Aerogel particles 102 and the blackbody material 104, theaggregation, mass, or collection 100 may include between 85 and 95weight percent of the Aerogel particles 102 and between 5 and 15 weightpercent of the blackbody material 104. In other embodiments, theaggregation, mass, or collection 100 may include between 90 and 99weight percent of the Aerogel particles 102 and between 1 and 10 weightpercent of the blackbody material 104 or between 92 and 98 weightpercent of the Aerogel particles 102 and between 2 and 8 weight percentof the blackbody material 104. In a specific embodiment, theaggregation, mass, or collection 100 may include between 94 and 97weight percent of the Aerogel particles 102 and between 3 and 6 weightpercent of the blackbody material 104.

Although the aggregation, mass, or collection 100 is described asincluding Aerogel particles 102, in other embodiments the Aerogelparticles 102 may be replaced, or used in combination with, othermaterials that exhibit excellent thermal insulative properties. Theseother materials may include hydrophobic silica that is fumed andprecipitated, titanium oxide materials, and the like. For ease indescribing the embodiments herein, the description will focus on theconstruction boards and/or the aggregation, mass, or collection 100including Aerogel particles 102. It should be realized, however, thatthe term “Aerogel particles 102” as used in the description and/orclaims may be substituted with a “hydrophobic silica that is fumed andprecipitated” and/or with “titanium oxide materials” or other similarmaterials without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention.For example, the ratios of the Aerogel particles 102 and blackbodymaterials 104 in the construction boards and aggregation, mass, orcollection 100 represent ratios that may be used for the otherinsulative materials—i.e., hydrophobic silica that is fumed andprecipitated, titanium oxide materials, and the like. In addition, itshould be realized that these other materials (e.g., hydrophobic silicathat is fumed and precipitated, titanium oxide materials, and the like)may be used in combination with the Aerogel particles 102 and/orblackbody material 104 as desired.

Fiberglass Construction Board

Referring to FIG. 2, illustrated is a construction product or board 200that includes the Aerogel particles 102. The construction board 200exhibits improved insulative properties in comparison with conventionalconstruction boards. In some embodiments, the construction board 200 isa glass fiber based construction board or product. The constructionboard 200 is typically a rectangular board having a length L, a width W,and a thickness T, which may be selected based on the application inwhich the construction board 200 will be used. Common values for thelength L include 4-10 feet, whereas common values for the width Winclude 2-6 feet, and common values for the thickness T include 1-4inches. The construction board 200 may likewise have a material densityor weight of between 3 and 12 lb/ft³, or between 4 and 10 lb/ft³, orbetween 6 and 8 lb/ft³.

The construction board 200 has a first face 202 and a second face 204that is positioned opposite the first face 202. In some embodiments, thefirst face 202 and/or second face 204 include facer materials that maybe employed to provide an aesthetic appearance or that may be employedto provide an additional property, such as a desired smoothness,texture, and the like. In other embodiments, the first face 202 and/orthe second face 204 may be free of a facer material, or may include amaterial coating as desired. The construction board 200 may be used fora variety of insulative applications including insulating residential orcommercial buildings, structures, or components; insulating oil or gasrefineries components and/or structures; insulating chemical plantcomponents and/or structures; insulating an automotive component and/orstructure; insulating an aerospace component and/or structure; and thelike. The construction board 200 may be ideal for insulating industrialcomponents and/or structures due to the construction board 200 havingexcellent fire resistant properties. For example, the construction board200 may be used to insulate chemical factories in which hot gases arereacted together.

In other embodiments, the construction board 200 may not have arectangular shape, but instead may be configured to be rolled orpositioned about a circular object, such as a pipe. For example, theconstruction board 200 may include one or more cut sections as shown bythe dashed line 206 in FIG. 2. The cut sections represent where thematerial would be removed, which would allow the construction board 200to be rolled and positioned around a pipe. In such instances, theconstruction board 200 may be used to insulation sections of piping thattransport hot substances, such as various fluids in oil refineries. Inother embodiments, the construction board 200 may not be a board, butrather may be a product that is shaped and configured to insulationvarious other shapes or even irregular shaped objects. For example, theconstruction product may be used as pipe insulation or may be a moldedirregular sharp insulation product. Thus, the embodiments described andcontemplated here are not limited to any particular geometric shape ordesign.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of the construction board 200 takenalong line A-A. As illustrated, the construction board 200 includes afiber core that includes a plurality of entangled fibers 210. Theentangle fibers 210 may include glass fibers, polymeric fibers (e.g.,polyester fiber and/or polypropylene fiber), and the like. In anexemplary embodiment, the entangled fibers 210 consist of, or consistessentially of, glass fibers and more commonly a combination ofentangled coarse glass fibers and glass microfibers. The term coarsefibers refers to fibers having average fiber diameters greater than 6microns while the term microfibers refers to fibers having average fiberdiameters of less than 6 microns. The term entangled fibers refers tofibers that are randomly oriented within the fiber core, which is incontrast to fibers that are woven or otherwise constructed to have aspecific orientation. The random orientation of the entangled fibers istypically achieved by forming the fiber core via a wet-laid process.

In a specific embodiment, the entangled fibers 210 of the fiber coreinclude a plurality of entangled coarse glass fibers having averagefiber diameters of between 8 and 20 μm and a plurality of entangledglass microfibers having average fiber diameters of between 0.5 and 6μm. In other embodiments, the coarse glass fibers may have an averagefiber diameter of between 10 and 16 μm and the glass microfibers mayhave an average fiber diameter of between 1 and 3 μm. The glassmicrofibers are typically homogenously or uniformly dispersed within theentangled coarse glass fibers so that the coarse glass fibers and theglass microfibers are entirely dispersed throughout the cross sectionalarea and volume of the construction board 200 without taking intoaccount any facers, coatings, or other components that may be positionedon the first face 202 and/or the second face 204.

In one embodiment, the construction board 200 may include between 1 and15 weight percent of the coarse glass fibers and between 10 and 40weight percent of the glass microfibers. In another embodiment, theconstruction board 200 may include between 3 and 10 weight percent ofthe coarse glass fibers and between 15 and 35 weight percent of theglass microfibers. In yet another embodiment, the construction board 200may include between 5 and 8 weight percent of the coarse glass fibersand between 20 and 30 weight percent of the glass microfibers.

The construction board 200 is typically an entirely inorganic system,which enables the construction board 200 to be used in very hightemperature conditions since there is no danger of fire. As brieflydescribe above, in some embodiments the construction board 200 includesfibers other than glass fibers. In such embodiments, the referencenumeral 210 refers to those other fibers, which may include acombination of entangled coarse fibers and microfibers in the varioussize ranges and combinations described. In other embodiments, theconstruction board 200 may include a combination of non-glass fibers andglass fibers. For example, the construction board 200 may includenon-glass coarse fibers and glass microfibers, or vice versa. Thevarious size ranges and combinations described herein may be used forthe combined non-glass fibers and glass fibers.

The construction board 200 typically includes a binder that bonds theentangled fibers 210 together. Specifically, the binder bonds or adheresthe plurality of coarse fibers and the plurality of microfiberstogether. The construction board 200 may include between 5 and 20 weightpercent of the binder. In other embodiments, the construction board 200may include between 8 and 18 weight percent of the binder or between 10and 16 weight percent of the binder. In some embodiments, the binder isa siloxane based emulsion that is able to crosslink at high temperatures(e.g., over 200 Celsius). The siloxane based emulsion binder exhibitsexceptional water resistance and has a high working temperature (e.g.,over 200 Celsius). The siloxane based emulsion binder also does notproduce toxic gas when burned. Other binders may be employed, such asacrylic binders or other polymer binders, although such binders may notbe as effective in terms of water resistance and/or working temperature.

FIG. 3 further illustrates that the fiber core includes an insulativematerial or mixture 110 that is homogenously or uniformly disposedand/or dispersed within the fiber core. The insulative material 110typically includes Aerogel particles 102 and thus, the insulativematerial 110 may also be referred to as an Aerogel material or mixture110. The Aerogel particles 102 may be friable and easily shattered andas such, the Aerogel particles 102 may be embedded within the matrix ofthe construction board 200, which greatly improves the durability of theAerogel particles 102 and prevents the particles from being shattered.In some embodiments, the Aerogel material/mixture 110 may only includeAerogel particles 102, while in other embodiments the Aerogelmaterial/mixture 110 may include the blackbody material 104 and/or othermaterials as previously described. Thus, the reference number 110 isused refer to any combination of the materials described aboveincluding: Aerogel particles 102 only, a combination of Aerogelparticles 102 and the blackbody material 104, hydrophobic silica that isfumed and precipitated, titanium oxide materials, or a combination ofany of these materials.

The fiber core may include between 30 and 90 weight percent of theAerogel material/mixture 110, and more commonly between 40 and 80 weightpercent of the Aerogel material/mixture 110. The Aerogelmaterial/mixture 110 is homogenously or uniformly disposed and/ordispersed within the fiber core so that the Aerogel material/mixture 110is entirely dispersed throughout the cross sectional area and volume ofthe construction board 200 without taking into account any facers,coatings, or other components that may be positioned on the first face202 and/or the second face 204.

In one embodiment, the Aerogel material/mixture 110 includes onlyAerogel particles 102. In such embodiments, the fiber core of theconstruction board 200 may include at least 50 weight percent of theAerogel, and more commonly between 50 and 80 weight percent of theAerogel. In another embodiment, the Aerogel material/mixture 110 mayinclude a mixture of the Aerogel particles 102 and carbon black that ishomogenously or uniformly mixed or dispersed. In such embodiments, thefiber core of the construction board 200 may include at least 30 weightpercent of the Aerogel particles 102 and more commonly at least 50weight percent of the Aerogel particles 102. In some embodiments, thefiber core of the construction board 200 may include between 30 and 80weight percent of the Aerogel/carbon black mixture and more commonlybetween 50 and 80 weight percent of the Aerogel/carbon black mixture.The Aerogel/carbon black mixture may include between 85 and 95 weightpercent of the Aerogel particles 102 and between 5 and 15 weight percentof the carbon black.

The construction board 200 typically includes the microfibers, and morecommonly a high percentage of microfibers, in order to constrain theAerogel particles 102 and carbon black within the fiber core matrix. Therange of the microfibers that are employed may be modified, but themicrofibers are typical not eliminated from the fiber core in order toprevent the aerogel particles 102 and/or carbon black from falling out.In some embodiments, the construction board 200 includes at least 10-40weight percent of microfibers, which is sufficient to maintain theAerogel particles 102 and carbon black within the fiber core matrix.

In some embodiments, the fiber core of the construction board 200includes between 0.5 and 2 weight percent of a hydrophobic agent. Thehydrophobic agent may prevent water condensation and/or corrosion in theconstruction board. The hydrophobic agent may also be employed asprocess aid during formation of the construction board 200 to enablequick removal of the water. An example of a hydrophobic agent that maybe employed in forming the construction board 200 is a methyl hydrogensilicone marcroemulsion, such as those sold by Dow Corning corporation.The silicone emulsion crosslinks and forms a hydrophobic layer on glasssurface.

As provided above, the construction board 200 has a high thermalinsulation value, good fire resistance, high thermal stability, and goodacoustic properties. For example, the use of the Aerogel particles 102and/or blackbody material 104 may enable the construction board 200 tohave an increase in R-value of greater than 2.0 in comparison withconventional fiberglass construction boards. Specifically, theconstruction board 200 typically exhibits an R-value of at least 6.5 perinch, and often exhibits an R-value of at least 7.0 per inch. Theconstruction boards described in the examples have material compositionsas described herein and exhibit R-values of 6.5 or 7.0 per inch orgreater. These R-values are significantly greater than conventionalfiberglass based construction boards, which often have R-values of lessthan 4.5 per inch. In addition to the exceptional R-values, theconstruction board 200 also typically exhibits a flame spread index nogreater than 5 and a smoke development index no greater than 20 asmeasured according to ASTM E-84-17 test or tunnel test. The constructionboards described in the examples exhibit flame spread indexes and smokedevelopment indexes as described.

Exemplary Method

The incorporation of Aerogel particles into the construction boardsfiber core can be achieved through a wet laid process. In this process,fibers (e.g., glass fibers) are first dispersed in an aqueous medium,which is commonly called a white water solution. The fibers are thencollected on a porous belt to form a mixture of the materials, which isoften in the form of a web of the fibers, while the water is drained offand recycled back into a dispersion tank. The collected fibers may bereferred to hereinafter as a material mixture or a fiber web. A binder,which adheres the fibers together, is applied to the wet fiber web ormaterial mixture, such as through a curtain coater, and the bindercoated wet fiber web or material mixture is dried in a continuous oven.In some embodiments, a separate slurry can be made with dispersedAerogel particles and the slurry can be added to the white watersolution or combined with the fibers during or shortly after theformation of the wet fiber web or material mixture. The wet fiber web ormaterial mixture and Aerogel can be coated with binder and dried in thesame continuous oven. In some embodiments, a small amount of glassmicrofibers can be added to the Aerogel particle slurry to better embedthe Aerogel particles within the fiber core.

Another process of forming the construction board's fiber core involvescombining all ingredients in an aqueous solution (i.e., making a slurry)so that all the ingredients are homogenously or uniformly dispersedwithin the aqueous solution. The ingredients that are combined in theaqueous solution include any of the components described herein, such asfibers (e.g., coarse glass fibers and/or glass microfibers), Aerogelparticles, blackbody material, hydrophobic silica, titanium oxide, etc.The slurry is then wet laid on a screen (e.g., hydroformer) to drain outthe water and form a wet fiber web or material mixture. The drainingprocess can be accelerated by either a press or vacuum as desired and abinder is then added to the wet fiber web or material mixture via acurtain coater or other mechanism. The wet fiber web or material mixturemay be pressed and/or vacuumed to achieved a controlled or desiredthickness. The wet fiber web or material mixture produced after drainingis transferred to a hot press to further remove the excess water andcure the binder. Alternatively, the wet fiber web may be cut to aspecific length and/or clamped in a thickness retaining device. Theclamped and/or cut wet fiber web may be transferred to a an oven fordying process, after which the dried board would be unclamped.

The Aerogel particles that are added to the aqueous solution are highlyhydrophobic, which enables the Aerogel to be directly added to waterwithout the water or other materials in the aqueous solution pluggingthe pores of the Aerogel particles. The carbon black that is used in theaqueous solution is typically an aqueous dispersion of carbon black,which enables the carbon black particles to be easily dispersed withinthe slurry.

In some embodiments, the material mixture may be transferred to a moldto form an object having a shape other than a rectangular board. In suchembodiments, the material mixture is typically in a particle or powderstate, which enables the material mixture to be easily transferred tothe mold. For example, the material mixture may be transferred to a pipeor cylindrical shaped mold to form a pipe or cylindrical shapedinsulation product. Different shaped molds may likewise be employed toform different shaped insulation products. FIG. 7 illustrates anon-rectangular shaped insulation product, and more specificallyillustrates an insulation product that has a pipe or rectangular shape.The material mixture may be dried in the mold to form the insulationproduct and then subsequently removed from the mold. In some instances,a film, facer, or other exterior material may be adhered or bonded withthe insulation product either during the curing process or subsequentthereto. In a particular embodiment the film or facer may comprise orconsist of a plastic film, a coated paper, an aluminum film laminatedfacer, and the like. In a specific embodiment a water impermeable filmor facer may be positioned on a pipe or cylindrical shaped insulationproduct. In such embodiments, the pipe or cylindrical shaped insulationproduct may have an R-value of at least 7.0 per inch.

Referring now to FIG. 4, illustrated is a method 400 of forming aconstruction product or board. The construction board formed accordingto the method 400 of FIG. 4 has or exhibits improved insulativeproperties in comparison with conventional fiberglass based constructionboards. At block 402, an aqueous solution is provided that includesfibers and an Aerogel material or particles homogenously or uniformlydispersed within the fibers. In a specific embodiments, the fibers areglass fibers and more commonly a combination of coarse glass fibers andglass microfibers that are homogenously dispersed within the coarseglass fibers. The coarse glass fibers may have average fiber diametersof between 8 and 20 μm and the glass microfibers may have average fiberdiameters of between 0.5 and 6 μm. At block 404, the aqueous solution ispoured onto a porous surface. At block 406, water is removed from theaqueous solution to form a wet laid mat, or wet fiber web, of the fibersand Aerogel material atop the porous surface. At block 408, a binder isapplied to the wet laid mat and at block 410, the binder is cured tobond the fibers and Aerogel material together and thereby form a fibercore of the construction board. In some embodiments, the method 400 alsoincludes applying pressure to the wet laid mat during the curingprocess.

In some embodiments, the method 400 of FIG. 4 may include an additionalstep that enables a more complex shape to be formed of the wet laid mat.Specifically, after the binder is added to the wet laid mat at block408, the wet laid mat may be transferred to a mold that defines thecomplex shape. In a particular embodiment, the mold is a pipe orcylindrical shaped mold, although various other shaped molds could beused to produce an insulation product with a desired shape. The mold maycontain a removable and lockable sheath, which keeps the wet laidmaterials compressed while the materials are cured and which allows theinsulation product to be removed from the mold after curing. The wetlaid materials may include between 20 and 40% water while in the mold.The wet laid material may be cured in the mold by subjecting thematerials to an oven temperature of between 150 and 200 Celsius forbetween 2 to 4 hours, although other oven temperatures and times may beemployed. In some embodiments, a water vapor impermeable film may beattached or adhered to the insulation product while the wet laidmaterial is being cured. For example, the mold may include the watervapor impermeable film so that transferring the wet laid materials tothe mold causes the materials to be in direct contact with the film. Thecuring process may bond or adhere the film to the materials. The watervapor impermeable film may comprise or consist of a plastic film, acoated paper, an aluminum film laminated facer, and the like. Thecomplex shaped insulation product may have the compositions (i.e.,coarse fiber, microfiber, carbon black, aerogel, etc.) andcharacteristics (i.e., ASTM E values, R-values, etc.) described herein.

In some embodiments, the fiber core includes between 1 and 15 weightpercent of coarse glass fibers and between 10 and 40 weight percent ofglass microfibers. In other embodiments, the fiber core may include anyof the fiber compositions and/or fiber types that are contemplated bythe disclosure herein. The fiber core may include between 30 and 90weight percent of the Aerogel material, and more commonly between 40 and80 weight percent of the Aerogel material. In a specific embodiment, thefiber core may include at least 50 weight percent of Aerogel particlesand more commonly between 50 and 80 weight percent of the Aerogelparticles. In some embodiments, the aqueous solution may also include ablackbody material, and in particular carbon black, that is homogenouslyor uniformly dispersed within the fibers and the Aerogel particles. Insuch embodiments, the fiber core may include between 40 and 90 weightpercent of the Aerogel particles and carbon black. The Aerogel particleand carbon black may include between 85 and 95 weight percent Aerogelparticles and between 5 and 15 weight percent carbon black, or any othercombination of the Aerogel particles and carbon black contemplated bythe disclosure herein.

The fiber core formed according to the method 400 of FIG. 4 has orexhibits an R-value of at least 6.5 per inch and in some embodimentsexhibits an R-Value of at least 7.0 per inch. The fiber core also has orexhibits a flame spread index of no greater than 5 and a smokedevelopment index of no greater than 20 as measured according to ASTME-84 test.

EXAMPLES

A first construction board as described herein was formed by pouring orforming a polyacrylamide viscose aqueous solution (i.e., white water)with dispersing agent in a mixing tank (e.g., a pulper). A 10% slurry ofthe construction board ingredients was formed in the white watersolution to achieve a targeted aerogel content, board density, and boardthickness in the construction board. In forming the slurry, the order ofthe added individual ingredients is often important to achieve a uniformslurry. In the instant example, glass microfibers (i.e., 481 (110×)MICRO-STRAND® GLASS MICROFIBERS sold by Johns Manville Corp) were addedand mixed in white water followed by a hydrophobic agent (e.g., 75SFEMULSION sold by DOW CORNING®) and a binder, such as Polon MF-56, whichis manufactured by Shin-Etsu. Chemical Co., Ltd., and which is aself-crosslinking organopolysiloxane emulsion that does not require acatalyst. Binders, such as Polon MF-56 may form a high strength siliconerubber film as they dry that is able to repel water. In instances wherecoarse fibers are used, the coarse fiber will typically be added beforethe microfibers and mixed within the white water until they are welldispersed within the white water. The microfibers will then be added andmixed, which allows for better overall dispersion of the fibers withinthe white water.

The solution was under constant agitation until all ingredients wereuniformly mixed. Aerogel particles were then added slowly to the whitewater solution without mixing. Once all the Aerogel particles wereadded, the agitation was restarted to homogenously or uniformly dispersethe Aerogel particles within the white water solution. The carbon blackdispersion was then added to the white water solution, which resulted inthe slurry turning black. The uniformity, or homogenous dispersion ofthe carbon black and/or other ingredients may be visibly determined byvisually determining if the slurry is uniformly black or grey. Avariation in the color of the slurry typically indicates that the carbonblack and/or other ingredients are not uniformly or homogenouslydispersed within the slurry. A flocculant (e.g., 10% solution ofAluminum Sulfate) was also added to the white water solution toflocculate the dispersion or emulsion so that the components are nolonger water soluble. The addition of the flocculant to the slurrycauses the mixture of fibers, aerogel, binder and carbon black to formclumps or flocs, which may be separated from the water. Typically, thebinder and carbon black will stick on surface of aerogel and fibers,which ensure that these materials are not lost due to drainage of thewater.

The flocculated slurry was then transferred into a draining station toform a wet laid mat or fiber web. For continuous processes, the drainingstation is a forming belt or hydroformer and the slurry is laid on amoving forming belt that typically has a designed woven pattern fordraining the water while preventing the added components or ingredientsfrom passing or falling through the belt. The slurry is contained on themoving belt by a frame or wall on opposing sides of the moving belt. Thewater in the slurry was drained by multi sets of vacuum pipes under thebelt. While moving, the slurry is concentrated and a wet laid mat withreduced water content is formed upon reaching a belt-press. Afterpressing the wet laid mat with the belt-press, the wet laid mat was cutinto specific lengths with a water jet cutter. The cut wet laid mats maybe continuously transferred into a thickness containing device andclamped. The clamped wet laid mat would then be transferred to an ovenfor drying.

A typical formulation or composition of a construction board formedaccording to the method immediately described above is shown in Table 1.The construction board of Table 1 did not include coarse fibers andinstead included only microfibers. In other instances, coarse glassfibers were added to the construction board in addition to themicrofibers. The construction board of Table 1 is composed mainly ofAerogel particles (i.e., 60%) with the microfibers constituting theother main component (i.e., 20%). The carbon black constituted about 5%of the construction board while the binder constituted roughly 15% ofthe construction board.

TABLE 1 Thermal Insulation Composite Board Formulation with 60% AerogelComponents Weight % Aerogel Particle (Aerogel P400) 60 Microfiber(Microfiber 481) 20 Binder (Polon MF-56) 14 Carbon Black (Ajack Black 2)5 Hydrophobic Agent (DC SF 75) 1

Additional construction board formulations or compositions formedaccording to the embodiments described above are shown in Tables 2 and 3below.

TABLE 2 Thermal Insulation Composite Board Formulation with 50% AerogelComponents Weight % Aerogel Particle (Aerogel P400) 50 Microfiber(Microfiber 481) 30 Binder (Polon MF-56) 14 Carbon Black (Ajack Black 2)5 Hydrophobic Agent (DC SF 75) 1

The construction board of Table 2 has a slightly lower amount of Aerogelparticles (i.e., 50%) than the construction board of Table 1 and aslightly greater amount of microfibers (i.e., 30%) than the constructionboard of Table 1. The amount of carbon black and binder employed in theconstruction board of Table 2 is roughly equivalent with that of Table1—i.e., roughly 5% and 15% respectively.

TABLE 3 Thermal Insulation Composite Board Formulation with 65% AerogelComponents Weight % Aerogel Particle (Aerogel P400) 65 Microfiber(Microfiber 481) 15 Binder (Polon MF-56) 14 Carbon Black (Ajack Black 2)5 Hydrophobic Agent (DC SF 75) 1

The construction board of Table 3 has a slightly greater amount ofAerogel particles (i.e., 65%) than the construction board of Table 1 anda slightly lower amount of microfibers (i.e., 15%) than the constructionboard of Table 1. The amount of carbon black and binder employed in theconstruction board of Table 3 is roughly equivalent with that of Table1—i.e., roughly 5% and 15% respectively.

In other embodiments, complex shapes, such as pipes may be formed. Inparticular, a pipe or cylindrical object was formed, which had the samecomposition of the insulation board described in relation to Table 1.The slurry making and flocculation process were the same as thosedescribed in forming the insulation board of Table 1. However, once theslurry was flocculated by an addition of 10% solution of AluminumSulfate, the mixture was dewatered/filtrated through a hydraulic filterpress to generate an aggregate of the materials. In the pipe formingprocess, the aggregate included between 20 and 40% water. Theseaggregate of materials was then transferred into a mold, which in theinstant case was a pipe or cylindrical shaped mold, but could by anothershape as desired for different applications. The mold contained aremovable and lockable sheath, which was configured to keep thematerials compressed while the materials were dried in an oven. Thedrying process involved subject the mold and materials to an ovenbetween 150 and 200 Celsius for approximately 2 to 4 hours. In themolding process, a water vapor impermeable film was attached to theinsulation core, although this step is an optional step in forming theinsulation product. The water vapor impermeable film may comprise orconsist of a plastic film, a coated paper, an aluminum film laminatedfacer, and the like. The water vapor impermeable insulation may beparticular useful for low or extreme low temperature applications.

Several construction boards having a formulation or composition asprovided in Tables 1-3 were tested according to ASTM C-518-17 to measurethe thermal insulation value (R-value) of the various boards. Themeasured R-values of the tested boards is provided in Table 4 below. Thedensity of the boards were varied to determine the effect of density onthe R-value. Table 4 demonstrates that essentially each constructionboard exhibited an R-value of at least 6.5/inch with sample 1 being theonly exception. The inventors believe that the R-value of sample 1 wasan outlier and that additional testing of the similarly composed boardswould result in an R-value of at least 6.5/inch. Table 4 furtherdemonstrates that half of the construction boards exhibited an R-valueof at least 7.0/inch. In particular the construction boards with aAerogel content of 65% each achieved an R-value of at least 7.0/inch. Asprovided in Table 4, the thermal insulation value (R-value) of the boardis dependent on the Aerogel/carbon black content and the density of theboard with a higher Aerogel content exhibiting an increase in thermalinsulation R-values.

TABLE 4 Thermal Insulation Performance of Aerogel Containing CompositeBoard Aerogel Content Sample # (%) Board Density (pcf) R/inch 1 50 66.39 2 50 8 6.55 3 50 10 6.67 4 60 6 6.69 5 65 5 7.17 6 65 6 7.53 7 65 77.54 8 65 8 7.63

The fire performance of samples 1-6 of Table 4 were also evaluatedaccording to the ASTM E-1354-17 Cone calorimeter Test. The results ofthe test are provided in Table 5 below. The construction boardsexhibited good performance in terms of Peak Heat release rate(HRR_(peak)) 1 Total Mass Loss (MLR), and Total Smoke Rate (S_(A)), withthe lower density construction boards typically exhibiting a lower heatrelease rate and a lower smoke rate.

TABLE 5 Cone Calorimeter Test of Aerogel Containing Composite Board EHCS_(A) Sample Aerogel Density HRR_(peak) THR MLR (MJ/ (m²/ # (wt %) (pcf)(kW/m²) (MJ/m²) (g/m²-s) m²) m²) 1 50 6 50 7.7 0.8 32.6 3 2 50 8 49 11.40.6 46.1 2 3 50 10 53 13.7 0.6 46.9 4 4 65 6 47 6.9 0.8 36.6 2 5 65 7 5412.0 0.7 35.4 2 6 65 8 51 12.9 0.6 39.2 7

The construction boards of samples 1-6 were tested at a heat flux of 50kW/m². Each of the construction boards achieved a flame spread index ofapproximately 0 and a smoke development index of approximately 15 inaccordance with the ASTM E-84-17 test.

The sound adsorption of the construction boards was also testedaccording to ASTM E-1050-17. The performance was compared to a 1 inch 6pound per cubic foot (pcf) fiberglass board, which was used as a control(i.e., the Whispertone® Wallboard sold by Johns Manville). The resultsof the test are illustrated in FIG. 5. For the control, the absorptioncoefficient approaches 1.00 as the frequencies increases to around 2kHz. In comparison, the absorption coefficient of the Aerogelconstruction boards level out between 0.30 and 0.60 around 600 Hz, whichmay be caused by the lower porosity (i.e., the increase percentage ofopen areas in the board) in comparison to the fiberglass control board.The data suggests that the lower density Aerogel construction boardstend to have better sound dampening performance at higher frequencies,which is likely due to the more porous and lower density boardsincreasing the sound absorption.

The cryogenic thermal conductivity of an Aerogel containing constructionboard was also tested and results are illustrated in FIG. 6. Asillustrated in FIG. 6, the construction board exhibited good/low thermalconductivity at cryogenic conditions. Thus, in addition to goodinsulative properties at high temperatures, the construction boardsdescribed herein also exhibit good insulative properties at lowtemperature.

While several embodiments and arrangements of various components aredescribed herein, it should be understood that the various componentsand/or combination of components described in the various embodimentsmay be modified, rearranged, changed, adjusted, and the like. Forexample, the arrangement of components in any of the describedembodiments may be adjusted or rearranged and/or the various describedcomponents may be employed in any of the embodiments in which they arenot currently described or employed. As such, it should be realized thatthe various embodiments are not limited to the specific arrangementand/or component structures described herein.

In addition, it is to be understood that any workable combination of thefeatures and elements disclosed herein is also considered to bedisclosed. Additionally, any time a feature is not discussed with regardin an embodiment in this disclosure, a person of skill in the art ishereby put on notice that some embodiments of the invention mayimplicitly and specifically exclude such features, thereby providingsupport for negative claim limitations.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elementshave not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent invention. Accordingly, the above description should not betaken as limiting the scope of the invention.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lowerlimits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller rangebetween any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and anyother stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed.The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently beincluded or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neitheror both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassedwithin the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in thestated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits,ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are alsoincluded.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”,and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes aplurality of such processes and reference to “the device” includesreference to one or more devices and equivalents thereof known to thoseskilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and“includes” when used in this specification and in the following claimsare intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers,components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or additionof one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, orgroups.

What is claimed is:
 1. A glass fiber based construction product havingimproved insulative properties, the construction product comprising: aglass fiber core comprising: a plurality of entangled coarse glassfibers having average fiber diameters of between 8 and 20 μm; aplurality of entangled glass microfibers homogenously dispersed withinthe entangled coarse glass fibers, the glass microfibers having averagefiber diameters of between 0.5 and 6 μm; a binder that bonds theplurality of coarse glass fibers and the plurality of glass microfiberstogether, the glass fiber core including between 5 and 20 weightpercentage of the binder; a mixture of Aerogel and carbon blackhomogenously disposed within the glass fiber core, the mixturecomprising: between 85 and 95 weight percent of the Aerogel; and between5 and 15 weight percent of the carbon black; wherein the constructionproduct has an R-value of at least 6.5 per inch and the constructionproduct has a flame spread index no greater than 5 and a smokedevelopment index no greater than 20 as measured according to ASTM E84.2. The glass fiber based construction product of claim 1, wherein theglass fiber core includes between 1 and 15 weight percent of the coarseglass fibers and between 10 and 40 weight percent of the glassmicrofibers.
 3. The glass fiber based construction product of claim 1,wherein the glass fiber core comprises between 0.5 and 2 weight percentof a hydrophobic agent.
 4. The glass fiber based construction product ofclaim 1, wherein the glass fiber core includes at least 50 weightpercent of the Aerogel.
 5. The glass fiber based construction product ofclaim 1, wherein the glass fiber core includes between 50 and 80 weightpercent of the mixture of Aerogel and carbon black.
 6. The glass fiberbased construction product of claim 1, wherein the construction producthas an R-value of at least 7.0 per inch.
 7. The glass fiber basedconstruction product of claim 1, wherein the construction product isemployed in one or more of the following application: a residentialstructure; a commercial structure; an oil or gas refinery; a chemicalplant; an automotive structure; and an aerospace structure.
 8. The glassfiber based construction product of claim 1, wherein the glass fibercore has a non-rectangular shape.
 9. The glass fiber based constructionproduct of claim 8, wherein the glass fiber core is pipe or cylindricalshaped.
 10. The glass fiber based construction product of claim 9,wherein the pipe or cylindrical shaped glass fiber core includes a waterimpermeable facer coupled with an exterior surface.
 11. The glass fiberbased construction product of claim 9, wherein the pipe or cylindricalshaped glass fiber core comprise an R-value of at least 7.0 per inch.12. A construction product comprising: a fiber core comprising aplurality of entangled glass fibers; a binder that bonds the pluralityof entangled glass fibers together; and an Aerogel material homogenouslyor uniformly disposed within the fiber core; wherein: the fiber coreincludes between 40 and 80 weight percent of the Aerogel; theconstruction product has an R-value of at least 6.5 per inch; and theconstruction product has a flame spread index no greater than 5 and asmoke development index no greater than 20 as measured according to ASTME-84 tunnel test.
 13. The construction product of claim 12, furthercomprising carbon black homogenously or uniformly disposed within thefiber core.
 14. The construction product of claim 13, wherein the glassfiber core includes between 30 and 90 weight percent of a mixture of theAerogel and carbon black.
 15. The construction product of claim 12,wherein the plurality of entangled glass fibers comprises: a pluralityof entangled coarse glass fibers having average fiber diameters ofbetween 8 and 20 μm; and a plurality of entangled glass microfibershomogenously dispersed within the entangled coarse glass fibers, theglass microfibers having average fiber diameters of between 0.5 and 6μm.
 16. The construction product of claim 15, wherein the fiber coreincludes between 1 and 15 weight percent of the coarse glass fibers andbetween 10 and 40 weight percent of the glass microfibers.
 17. Theconstruction product of claim 12, wherein the fiber core includes atleast 50 weight percent of the Aerogel.
 18. The construction product ofclaim 12, wherein the construction product has an R-value of at least7.0 per inch.
 19. The construction product of claim 12, wherein theconstruction product has a non-rectangular shape.
 20. The constructionproduct of claim 19, wherein the construction product is pipe orcylindrical shaped.
 21. A method of forming a construction producthaving improved insulative properties comprising: providing an aqueoussolution that includes glass fibers and an Aerogel material homogenouslyor uniformly dispersed within the glass fibers; pouring the aqueoussolution onto a porous surface; removing water from the aqueous solutionto form a wet laid mat or material mixture of the glass fibers andAerogel material atop the porous surface; applying a binder to the wetlaid mat or material mixture; and curing the binder to bond the glassfibers and Aerogel material together and thereby form a fiber core ofthe construction product; wherein: the fiber core includes between 40and 80 weight percent of the Aerogel; the fiber core has an R-value ofat least 6.5 per inch; and the fiber core has a flame spread index of nogreater than 5 and a smoke development index of no greater than 20 asmeasured according to ASTM E-84 test.
 22. The method of claim 21,further comprising applying pressure to the wet laid mat or materialmixture during the curing process.
 23. The method of claim 21, whereinthe aqueous solution also includes carbon black that is homogenously oruniformly dispersed within the glass fibers and the Aerogel material.24. The method of claim 23, wherein the fiber core includes between 40and 90 weight percent of the Aerogel material and carbon black.
 25. Themethod of claim 21, wherein the glass fibers of the aqueous solutioncomprise: coarse glass fibers having average fiber diameters of between8 and 20 μm; and glass microfibers homogenously dispersed within thecoarse glass fibers, the glass microfibers having average fiberdiameters of between 0.5 and 6 μm.
 26. The method of claim 25, whereinthe fiber core includes between 1 and 15 weight percent of the coarseglass fibers and between 10 and 40 weight percent of the glassmicrofibers.
 27. The method of claim 21, further comprising transferringthe wet laid mat or material mixture to a mold and curing the binderwithin the mold such that the fiber core of the construction product hasa non-rectangular shape.
 28. The method of claim 27, further comprisingcuring the wet laid mat or material mixture in the mold at a temperatureof between 150 and 200 Celsius.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein thewet laid mat or material mixture is cured in the mold for between 2 and4 hours.
 30. The method of claim 27, wherein the mold is pipe orcylindrical shaped such that the fiber core of the construction productis pipe or cylindrical shaped.